DC's Dr's Appt.

Hey are those enough abbreviations for ya. If not I'll try to put even more in my next post title! :)

OK so I'm reckoning this blog is about more than just fitness. I see it as a wellness blog too. That's why I post my meals/snacks etc... My goal is wellness. With that in mind I thought that I'd post a bit about my ongoing health struggles & treatment.

I saw a new doctor yesterday. Dr. Smith is a quantum neurologist & he also practices a highly specific form of chiropractics. My MD is at her wits end with me so I've been shipped off to someone new.

Here's a run down of everything that I've been diagnosed with...

Anaphylaxis: nearly killed me in 2003, I've experienced it six times, we have no idea what will set it off next. It's considered an autoimmune disease.

Hypoglycemia: It took a while to figure this one out. After the veggie days people started to notice me acting odd if I went more than three hours between meals. I'd get confused, I'd lose my balance, I'd cry & get irrational... Hypoglycemia was the catalyst for my current eating patterns. I can go longer between meals & snacks if the food I eat has good fat, protein, complex carbs. It's awful to be chained to meal times. It seriously hindered my groove. For emergencies I almost always carry jerky, trail mix, & a Kashi granola bar. As a side note: Did ya'll know that a lot of people who are diagnosed with depression are acutally suffering from hypo?

Enlarged Thyroid: I've been tested for thyroid function because my thyroid is enlarged. Every doctor I've ever visited has asked me to be tested. My primary function is on the low end of normal but my secondary function is way off. For instance my basal body temperature is usually between 95 & 96 degrees. Even during ovulation when it should be in the 99 to 100 degree range I'm still not reaching 97 degrees. A lot of people are a degree low in temp but to actually hit 95 on a regular basis is really bad. Everyone should check their basal temp periodically. We've got to get it up to at least 97 degrees.

Insulin Resistance: It's possible that I may have been struggling with this for many years however it manifested in a serious way after I stopped my strict vegetarian diet.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: This is directly related to insulin resistance. When I'm no longer insulin resistant the PCOS will go away. This came to my knowledge when I was admitted into the hospital on my mission. A rather large cyst ruptured and I could even feel the pain through the narcotics. Not fun! Hours of testing including CT Scan & internal ultrasound gave us the info we needed.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome : I've suffered with this most of my life. It became a serious issue during my freshman year of college when I had to be put on medication for the problem. My vegetarian diet helped tremendously but caused other issues.

Bleeding Ulcers: I've also had ulcers since my freshman year of college. The bleeding is a recent event as far as we can tell. It's under control currently with medication that costs in excess of $300 a month. The ulcers are most certaintly contributing to the IBS.

Kidney Cysts: not to be confused with polycystic kidney disease which is genetic. Up to 30% of people over 70 have these. I'm one of the lucky ones that has had them since childhood. Most people have bladder infections or UTI infections. Very few have actual kidney infections yet I do. They've resulted in 106 degree fevers. All I can say is that I've only asked God to let me die once and it was due to a problem caused by these little buggers. Nothing like spending a night packed in ice.

Allergy Induced Asthma: This again goes back to just how seriously my allergies affect me. I don't have to use my inhaler often but there have been times that I've literally gotten down on my knees and thanked God for Proventil. Again we never know when this with flare although I'm really good at predicting seasonal triggers and pre-medicating for them specifically.

I also have some "structural problems" My pelvis is twisted & it makes my right leg shorter than my left leg. My spine is straight instead of an "S" curve. My neck is also straight instead of curved. Here's where my clinical clumsiness comes in. I over correct when I walk, hop, jump, run and it leads to me getting hurt a lot. This is where intense chiropractic therapy will be very useful.

That's all the big stuff. I suffered from a lot of secondary problems like chronic mouth sores, boils, drastic blood pressure fluctuations, loss of smell, acute sinusitis, bloody noses, intense pain, irregular periods, rashes, etc... These are all caused by the primary issues and should end when the primary problems are corrected.

And just to give ya'll an idea why my doctors are so confused I'll share one of my many bizarre medical issues...

One day I woke up and there was huge amounts of green stuff coming out of my belly button. For some reason my belly button had opened up and was leaking misc. fluid from my abdomen. They burned it shut while I was awake with no anesthesia. Not fun!

So yesterday I went to a new doctor and lived through approx. 30 tests. He and his PA were very optimitic. They said that my case is serious & even life-threatening if left unattended. Yet they saw no reason that I can't make a complete recovery from most of the problems & that the remaining ones should be greatly reduced. I'm feeling pretty hopeful. I go back to get the test results on Friday as well as the treatment plan. Exciting times!

I'm beyond happy that I can walk & hike. Still I'm looking forward to resuming yoga or trying something new. I like to try new things. Luckily though I'm in Southern Utah and even the simplest of walks are incredible photo opportunities. It's hard to get bored with so much prettiness everywhere.